News

A Third Person Dies From SXSW Crash Injuries

A third person has died following the car crash early Thursday morning during South By Southwest, The Austin American Statesman confirmed. Sandy Le, who was in critical condition at University Medical Center Brackenridge, died today according to hospital officials. Seven of the 22 people who were injured still remain in the hospital.

While the immediate conditions of the injured are not known, as of Sunday two were in critical condition, one was in serious condition and two were in good condition. Evan West, whose wife Jamie was struck and killed during the incident, was in fair condition.

Suspect Rashad Owens remains in jail with his bail set at $3 million. Owens is facing two counts of capital murder after driving a car through a crowd of people to avoid a DUI checkpoint. Jamie West and Steven Craenmehr, a 35-year old musician from the Netherlands, were killed.

As previously reported, SXSW established a fund for the victims of the crash along with those injured. Full details on how to donate can be found here.

Comments

There are 10 comments associated with this post

TEXASSUSESTHEDEATHPENALTY March 17, 2014, 12:25:41

So don’t be surprised if they give this guy the death penalty!! Which he totally deserves!!!!!!!!

Voracious Pteridactyl March 17, 2014, 13:54:54

I don’t know why people think that the death penalty is such a harsh punishment. It’s the easy way out. I’d much rather be put to death than spend 60 years inside of an 11 × 5 foot box and surrounded by vile people.

seth March 17, 2014, 14:11:34

ppl think the death penalty is harsh because of the finality. we should not be executing innocent people, period. better for someone to spend years behind bars and then get out if they are exonerated than for us to kill them and years later realize, “Whoopsy! he didn’t actually do it.”
you also have instances when a crime was committed because of untreated mental disease. should people be killed because they didn’t take their meds?
so clearly the death penalty should be restricted to times when there is not a shred of doubt that this person was the one who committed the crime, and if of sound mind that cannot be rehabilitated.

drasticjasper March 17, 2014, 14:46:21

like this case

me March 17, 2014, 14:51:13

Something tells me that thinking you’d rather die rather than spend 60 years in a prison cell sounds better when you are typing at your keyboard, than it feels when you are being walked to the chair… as for mental defect, I personally have no problem with the death penalty in that case as long as your point about being 100% certain of guilt exists (my rational is that regardless of circumstances, if you brutally murder someone, the focus should remain solely on the person who was murdered, not rationalizations for why it occurred). Today’s standards do not provide for such absolute proof to exist in order to be sentenced to death, so it’s tough to currently support the death penalty. Believe it, or not, I’m a pretty liberal person but if my understanding of what occurred in the tragic situation in Austin is accurate (that it is clear he is the one who did it), seems like Rashad has qualified to meet his maker.

Voracious Pteridactyl March 17, 2014, 15:14:33

I have been misunderstood. I am not in favor of the death penalty, I think it’s an easier punishment than life imprisonment, and removes the opportunity for innocents to be vindicated. And no, sitting at my desk has no bearing on whether or not I’d rather be dead or in prison for the rest of my life. The choice is clear for me, I’d rather be dead. It might be scary getting to “the chair” as it was put, but then it’s over. I’d take a few minutes of fear over a lifetime of suffering no problem.

dk70 March 17, 2014, 15:25:38

Just make sure they wet the sponge. Very important. For this guy they should dry sponge it.

me March 17, 2014, 17:46:14

The guy isn’t sponge-worthy ;^)

U r Crazy March 17, 2014, 18:58:52

So which one of you will flip the switch?
Phish heads for the death penalty,
Friends of cheese for the death penalty
Spread heads for the death penalty
Mo Ron’s for the death penalty
Sounds funny i think,

Harry O'Toole March 17, 2014, 20:24:46

In the state of Texas if convicted of capital murder and given a death sentence the prisoner will spend an average of twelve to fifteen years on death row before being brought into the death chamber, strapped down and given a lethal injection. The Texas Corrections website has a listing of those awaiting execution and those executed including their last statement before the sentence is carried out if they choose to give one.